Home Is Where the Heart Is

by Ilse Crawford, Martyn Thompson (Photographer)

In Home Is Where the Heart Is, celebrated designer Ilse Crawford looks beyond pure aesthetics to pursue a philosophy of reclaiming and reintegrating the human element into our homes.

With the premise that "the more virtual our world becomes, the more we need the physical," Crawford investigates our basic human drives for survival, safety, love, respect, and self-fulfillment and then expands this into how we can improve our lives, our homes, and our daily activities.

As she writes in her introductory essay, "What drives us as human beings? What are those basic building blocks of human behavior that make us alike, the things that make us human? We need the functionality of the technological age but we want a sense of humanity, of home, a space that speaks to us both rationally and emotionally. We want to be modern but we want to be human too."

A unique mix of provocative text and evocative photography, this volume combines thoughtful essays on our individual needs and our daily activities with practical information on architecture, design, and furnishings. The end result is a lavish and inspirational edition that will improve our perception of what a home can be.

Genres: Design, Interior Design, Nonfiction, Architecture

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 2005

Reviews

[F.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 stars for me. Love the philosophy of design in this book, that home is about more than design, it's about being human too. Resonated with Ilse Crawford's comments on feeling ourselves at home (reminds me of Christopher Alexander's work, which is a must read). Found myself flipping through the book more than reading it in detail though - lovely photos - skipping the more general sections, because they're so general as to be obvious (we enjoy being outside, it's important to get enough sleep, etc). Interspersed with those obvious general comments though, is some real wisdom on what it means to really live in physical space.

[False · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could have sworn I've read this before, but for some reason it's not showing on Good Reads. The hardcover version is luxe as the book is covered in a red silk like fabric with gold tooling. Ultimately, the gold tooling doesn't work as it slides off the fabric with each handling of the book.

An oversized book which studies the aspects of how we create a home and what we might need to be our happiest there. The chapters are: Survival, Protection, Love, Respect, Self and Detail. It's a handsome book and one you could return to, over time, to contemplate how your house and environs are meeting your needs leading into what you would need to change to seek some better principles out--your need for privacy, for example. Basic, timeless aesthetics, really.

[Melanie Rippon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forerunner to A Frame For Life, covers some of the same ideas, even uses some of the same photos! Still worth reading whether all-the-way-through or inspirational browsing, & beautifully illustrated. Loosely based around Maslow's hierarchy of needs, so thematic not room-by-room so much.

[Isabelle Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Crawford changed the way I see design. She changes the questions we should ask ourselves as we dream up and the created world.

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very timely read as I was planning out & decorating my new home. Loved the first few essays, it gave a sense of serenity about our everyday lives and encouraged to look at home design with more freedom and play. I was already leaning towards this philosophy intuitively but it helped to get encouragement from the outside, with well put arguments of why some modern trends aren't what's best for us.

It read like a meditation on what home ought to mean to us. Easy and nice read, poetic photography and very beautiful cover, could work as a coffee table book.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my, I love this book. It's really quite light on both text on imagery, which makes its capacious size more than a bit ridiculous, but what is there is packed with meaning and visual poetry. It's the sort of book I've been looking for: one that talks about the concept of home from an emotional perspective, on a personal level. I'm adding it to my to-buy list...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the idea of the book. I agreed with a lot of what I thought she was trying to say, I just think it wasn't organized as well as it could have been. Additionally, I think she tried to touch on too many topics without going deep enough into them. Such potential.

[Pippin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is someone who understands what 'home' can AND should be - or become. Whether I like her 'decorating style' is neither here nor there. What HiWtHI does is broaden our ideas about the possibilities of our homes and even individual rooms. There is lots to mull over from this book.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

a manifesto for home decor with soul and psychology